


Shadow Matter

by sockyeom



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: idk - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2019-09-09
Packaged: 2020-10-13 09:44:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20580467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sockyeom/pseuds/sockyeom
Summary: The anti-X-gene, the 7th infinity stone, the nothing





	Shadow Matter

**Author's Note:**

> if ur not called emi or jess dont read

Translucent, shadowy, and, seemingly human. Although, perhaps Neirin could pass for human if she wasn't see-through. Her jellyfish-like skin, akin to eggwhite, was a thick map of half-coloured veins and bones. Looking at her, staring straight into the bottom of the ocean, made me feel as if I was suddenly very aware of all the mortality in my own flesh, looking straight into my own naked corpse - which I suppose I was, we are triplets, after all.   
Her nature was not just mentally uncomforting; Muriel and I were forced, by both our own horror and the cells, to watch as stabs of metals, needles, knives, like icicles, were pushed through her. They pinned her like a voodoo doll and flushed coloured liquids through her until her vessels ran black. Until her skin almost looked like Muriel's.

You'd think Muriel would be the terrifying one. Her skin inhumanely shaded, a common side-effect of the X-gene, or so we were told, a thunder-cloud ash, a coal grey, pitch black. Her edges were smeared too, especially against the white of her hospital gown, as if she was tearing herself into shadows, or trying to sink into them - which she couldn't do, they kept lights on her at all times. None of us slept. 

And so I was there, until 2 days ago, mostly for emotional blackmail. Because I was the runt, or the anomaly, or the human, until they brought in mutant guards. The bald man, with electricity crackling between his fingers, pushed my sisters into their cells, their skin scorching at his touch. But it was just a hand to me, I moved, unscathed. His look of realisation made me wonder if the cage was to keep me within or without, but what could I do? I was human. 

Whether the mutant guards felt any empathy at all was irrelevant, they helped us escape. Not because they wanted to, but because the dissectors and the watchers hadn't considered that we may not play nice with others, that maybe, we don't mix well.   
They found this out soon enough when, Neirin, her palm sparking, plunged it into the wall. Loud crackles and bangs sounded above us as the lights failed. The room went dark. I could feel Muriel smile, as she disappeared. The powercut only lasted three minutes, but it was enough. 

'I found it. I found a way out.' 

The doors clicked open, their electric locks numbed. A corridor we hadn't seen for weeks, tilted ahead of us, dark save for the flashing red light. 

'Come on.'

As we moved, Neirin leaning on me, we passed doors, like ours, jilted open, strange moans and breathing behind them. I stopped to stare, but Muriel pushed me forwards. 

'There's no time.' 

She's right. A door crashed open ahead of us, a boy scrambled out, an uncaged look in his eyes, wider than lightbulbs. There was something thick and heavy around his neck, he ripped the metal off, grasping at his neck as if he could finally breathe - and then he lit up in flames. Neirin hissed, covering her eyes. We rushed passed him, I could feel Neirin tense as she sized him up, but he was small, even covered in flame. 

'Are you escaping?' A voice called behind us, 'Please, take me with you.'

'This way.' Muriel shouted back. 

The corridor ended in thick metal doors, glowing orange in the boy's light. He moved forward, trembling as he raised his hands in front of him and pushed them into the metal. It slowly turned into sludge and we climbed through the dripping molten wreck, onto a stairwell. 

'This way.' Muriel panted, spiraling downwards. 

'Down? Are you sure - we're already underground.' The boy said, behind Neirin and I.

'I can hear guards!' Neirin whispered. 

The boy ran with us, each step less and less defined from the last until my feet could have been sliding down a helter-skelter. Doors were banging above us, barks and shouts hounded the air, the fluorescent lights blazed back on, just as we reached another metal door. 

'Damnit!' Screamed Muriel. 'How are we going to get out? We need to find shadow.'

'I can do it,' Murmured the boy, stepping around Muriel and trying not to look at Neirin. 

I watched his eyes water as he melted another door, this time crying out, 'I can feel air!' Just as a gunshot went off and he dropped to the floor. 

'Go!' Muriel screamed, pushing us through the doorway, hot metal sticking to my skin and searing me. I dared not scream for fear it would burn through my tongue. 

The tunnel was dark, smelly and damp with something wet sitting beneath us. Our three sets of footsteps melded with the blood pounding through my head, the guns firing behind us, we turned a corner. 

'Is anyone hit?' I asked, propping Neirin up. 

'Keep going! They're coming.' Muriel panted. 

We ran on, slipping and tripping in the slime beneath us.

'Okay, Neirin, you first.' Muriel grabbed her sister and sank through the brick wall. 

I heard guards at the end of the tunnel, turning the corner. A whipping sound turned my head, three burning stakes were tearing through the air, evidently mutant. Like shooting stars, aiming for my chest, before I could gasp they hit their mark, and melted through me like warm air. I had no time to think.   
Muriel appeared again, grabbed me, and we turned to shadow.


End file.
